IMAGE  EVALUATION 
TEST  TARGET  (MT-3) 


^' 


/. 


A 


< 


{/  ^/Sr 


':?< 


t/.. 


^ 


fA 


1.0 


I.I 


2.5 
2.2 


L25  ill  1.4 


1.6 


^ 


V] 


A^ 


^(^^7 


e? 


m. 


^^m. 
/r 


% 


J^ 


Photographic 

Sciences 
Corporafion 


4% 


M 


"■x 


V 


'^ 


23  WEST  MAIN  STREET 

WEBSTER,  N.Y.  14580 

(716)  872-4503 


!^ 


"% 


s 


k 


1^ 


^1> 


'% 


'■^-  * 


4y 


&:>^ 


u.. 


^ 


fA 


iV 


/^ 


CIHM/ICMH 

Microfiche 

Series. 


CIHM/ICIVIH 
Collection  de 
microfiches. 


Canadian  Institute  for  Historical  Microreproductions  /  Institut  Canadian  de  microreproductions  historiqueb 


Technical  and  Bibliographic  Notes/Notes  techniques  et  biblioqraphiquas 


The  Institute  has  attempted  to  obtain  the  best 
original  copy  available  for  filming.  Features  of  this 
copy  which  miy  be  bibliographically  unique, 
vvhich  may  alter  any  of  the  images  in  the 
reproduction,  or  which  may  significantly  change 
the  usual  method  of  filming,  are  checked  below. 


n  ^ 

I I  c 


Coloured  covers/ 
Couvertura  da  couieur 


□    Covers  damaged/ 
Couverture  endommag^e 

□    Covers  restored  and/or  laminated/ 
Couverture  rastaurie  nt/ou  peiliculie 

□    Cover  title  mis.ning/ 
Le  titre  de  couverture  manque 

□    Coloured  maps/ 
Cartes  gAographiques  en  couieur 

□    Coloured  ink  (i.e.  other  than  blue  or  black)/ 
Encre  de  couieur  (i.e.  autre  que  blaue  ou  iio 

□    Coloured  plates  and/or  illustrations/ 
Planches  et/ou  illustrations  en  couieur 

0    Bound  with  other  material/ 
Relii  avec  d'autras  documents 


loire) 


D 


D 


D 


Tight  binding  may  cause  shadows  or  distortion 
along  interior  margin/ 

La  re  liure  serree  peut  causer  de  i'ombre  ou  de  la 
distorsion  Is  long  de  la  marne  int^rieure 

Blank  leaves  added  during  restoration  may 
appear  within  the  text.  Whenever  possible,  these 
have  been  omitted  from  filming/ 
II  se  peut  que  certaines  pages  blanches  ajouties 
lors  dune  restauration  apparaissent  dans  le  texte, 
mais,  lorsque  ceia  6tait  possible,  ces  pages  n'ont 
pas  iti  film^es. 

Additional  comments:/ 
Commentaires  suppldmentaires; 


L'Institut  a  microfilm^  le  meilleur  axemplaire 
qu'il  lui  a  iti  possible  de  se  procurer.  Les  details 
de  cet  axemplaire  qui  sont  peut-dtre  uniques  du 
point  de  vue  bibliographique,  qui  peuvent  modifier 
une  image  reproduite,  ou  qui  peuvent  Gxiger  une 
modification  dans  la  m*thode  normale  de  filmage 
sont  indiqu^s  ci-dessous. 


I      I    Coloured  pages/ 


Pages  de  couieur 

Pages  damaged/ 
Pages  endommagies 

Pages  restored  and/or 

Pages  restaur^es  et/ou  pelliculdes 

Pages  discoloured,  stained  or  roxer 
Pages  d6color6es,  tacheties  ou  piqudes 


I      I    Pages  damaged/ 

I      I    Pages  restored  and/or  laminated/ 

I  y\    Pages  discoloured,  stained  or  roxed/ 


□Pages  detached/ 
Pages  ddtachees 

HShowthrough/ 
Transparence 

□    Quality  of  print  varies/ 
Quality  inigale  de  I'impression 

□    Includes  supplementary  material/ 
Comprend  du  materiel  supplementaire 

rn    Only  edition  available/ 


D 


Seule  Edition  disponible 

Pages  wholly  or  partially  obscured  by  errata 
slips,  tiss'-es,  etc.,  have  been  refilmed  to 
ensure  the  best  possible  image/ 
Les  pages  totalement  ou  partiellement 
obscurcies  par  un  feuillet  d'errata,  une  pelure, 
etc.,  cnt  6t6  fiim^es  i  nouveau  de  facon  a 
obtenir  la  meilleure  image  possible. 


This  item  is  filmed  at  the  reduction  ratio  checked  below/ 
Ce  document  est  filmi  au  taux  de  reduction  indiqud  cidessous. 
^°X  14X 18X  22X 


J 


12X 


16X 


20X 


26X 


30X 


24X 


28X 


n 


32X 


Tha  copy  filmed  h«ra  has  baan  raproducad  thanks 
to  tha  ganarosity  of: 

L^islature  du  Quebec 
Quebec 


L'axamplaira  fiimA  fut  raproduit  grftca  A  la 
gin^rosit*  da: 

Legislature  du  Quebec 
Qu6boc 


Tha  Imagaa  appaaring  hara  ara  tha  baat  quality 
possibia  conaidaring  tha  condition  and  lagibility 
of  tha  original  copy  and  in  kaaping  with  tha 
filming  contract  spacificationa. 


Original  copiaa  in  printad  papar  covars  ara  fllmad 
beginning  with  tha  front  covar  and  anding  on 
tha  last  paga  with  a  printad  or  llluatratad  impraa- 
sion,  or  tha  back  covar  whan  appropriata.  All 
othar  original  copiaa  ara  filmad  beginning  on  the 
first  paga  with  a  printad  or  iiluatratad  impraa- 
sion,  and  anding  on  tha  laat  paga  with  a  printad 
or  iiluatratad  impraaaion. 


Tha  laat  racordad  frama  on  aach  microficha 
shall  contain  tha  symbol  — ^  (moaning  "COlM- 
TINUBD").  or  tha  symbol  V  (meaning  "END"), 
whichever  appiiea. 

Mapa.  plataa.  charts,  etc..  may  be  filmed  at 
different  reduction  ratioa.  Those  too  large  to  be 
entirely  included  in  one  exposure  are  filmed 
beginning  in  the  upper  left  hand  comer,  left  to 
right  and  top  to  bottom,  aa  many  framea  aa 
required.  The  following  diagrama  illustrate  the 
method: 


Lee  imagaa  suivantea  ont  it*  raproduitea  avac  la 
piua  grand  soin,  compta  tenu  de  la  condition  at 
de  la  nattet*  da  I'exempiaira  fiim«,  at  an 
conformity  avac  lea  conditiona  du  contrat  de 
fllmage. 

Lae  exemplairas  originaux  dent  la  couverturo  an 
papier  eat  imprimte  sont  filmte  an  commanqant 
par  la  premier  plat  at  en  terminant  soit  par  la 
darniire  page  qui  comporte  une  ampreinte 
d'impreaaion  ou  d'illustration,  soit  par  la  second 
plat,  selon  le  eas.  Tous  aa  autras  axempiairas 
originaux  sont  filmte  an  commandant  par  la 
premiere  page  qui  comporte  une  ampreinte 
d'impreaaion  ou  d'iiluatration  at  an  terminant  par 
la  darniire  page  qui  comporte  une  telle 
empreinte. 

Un  dee  symboles  suivants  apparaitra  sur  la 
demiire  image  de  cheque  microfiche,  salon  la 
eaa:  ie  symbols  —»•  signifie  "A  SUIVRE",  le 
symbole  V  signifie  "FIN". 

Lee  cartes,  planchea.  tableeux.  etc.,  peuvant  dtre 
fiimte  A  dee  taux  de  rMuction  diff«rents. 
Loraque  le  document  est  trop  grand  pour  dtre 
raproduit  an  un  seul  ciich«.  11  est  fiimi  i  partir 
da  I'angle  sup4rinur  gauche,  de  gauche  i  droita. 
at  de  haut  an  b«a,  an  pranant  la  nombre 
d'Images  n^casa-jire.  Les  diagrammes  suivants 
illustrant  la  mithoda. 


1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

■  'm- 


«MP 


^^--  ^*^-  /^^ 


THE  CLAIMS  OK  TIIH  NOItTIIWUST 


KOU   TllK 


Improvement  of  St.  Mary's  Riyer  and  Hay  Lake  ChauneL 


SPEECH 


or 


HON.  CUSHMAN  K.  DAVIS, 


OF    JMINNKSOTA, 


DKUVERBD  IN  THE 


SENATE  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES, 


THURSDAY,  JANUARY  9,   1890. 


Wash  I  ngton. 

1890. 


\m 


%. 


SPEECH 


or 


nO]^.  CUSIIxAlAN  K.  DAVIS. 


^ 


The  Senate  hiivinK  under  ooiisiderntlon  the  bill  (S   1631)  maklno-  ar,n,«r>,i-- 

Mr,  DAVIS  said: 

rMrv'?vvrVT"  ^fi^'°i^^  S'"''''°*  ''^*'»*'°  *^«  ^«"*tor  from  Ohio 
IMr    1  AV  M,]  presented  to  the  Senate  the  potition  of  the  Board  of 

Tmdeol  thecty  of  Cleveland  upon  a  subject  of  the  greateaSo?- 
tanre  U,  the  pt^ople  of  the  Northwest.  It  is  a  subject  ^chal^^m- 
n,ed.atel.v  concerns  the  interests  of  his  own  State  and  all  the  comma- 
nities,  (iornestic  and  loreign,  that  have  commeroial  reUtions  with  th« 
reKinns  wh-.se  products  lind  an  outlet  at  Lake  Superior  or  a  market  iu 
the  tern  ory  west  ot  that  great  inland  sea.  In  a  more  remote  bi^? 
scarcely  les.s  important  degree,  it  involves  the  general  welfare.  It  ia 
not  merely  of  preseist  importance.  Great  as  that  importance  is,  a  wise 
consi(lei;ation  ot  a  future  that  is  very  near  vawtly  increases  it  That 
suhject  18  the  improvements  at  the  fails  of  the  St.  Mary's  River  con- 
•SIS  ing  ol  a  new  lock,  and  at  the  same  time  the  deepening  of  the  Har 
Lake  C  lannel.  Tl.e  prayer  of  the  petition  is  that  the  tot^l  amount  re- 
quired  lor  thecompUtion  of  these  indispensable  avenues  of  traffic  be  at 
«m-e  appropnated  and  placed  at  tl.e  disposal  of  the  War  Department, 
to  tile  end  that  the  work  may  be  pro.^ecuted  to  completion  within  the 
slu)it..st  lime  possible^  Similar  petitions  have  since  been  presented 
iJuhith    ^'"'"'^*""'  of  Commerce  of  the  city  of  St.  Paul  and  the  city  of 

Tiiis  matter  has  been  favorably  considered  for  several  vears  bymanv 

husnies.s  inter.^ts,  acting  throus.).  their  various  organizations,  in  all  the 

^lates  houn.led  by  the  Great  Lakes.     It  was  the  occasion  of  a  conven- 

tion  o  the  most  representative ,  liaracter,  coiivenetiat  the  Sauit  in  18H7 

1  hat  the  necessity  for  the  immediate  completion  of  these  great  public 

vNorks  is  most  urgent  is  the  mature.!  conviction  of  public  sentiment  in 

the  communities  whose  interests  are  immediately  involved  in  them 

^  lliese  petitions  express  their  nnnnimous  desire,  their  pressing  need,  and 

tersely  demonsti-att!  the  just  ice  of  their  prayer.  »  .      " 

It  is  my  purpose  to  submit  to  the  Semite,  somewhat  at  lar.'e  the 

views  which  are  correctly  entertained  upon  this  subject  by  these  great 

constituencies.  ■'       ^^^fe'cwb 

The  distance  from  the  city  of  New  York  to  Duluth,  at  the  head  of 
Lake  bnpenor,  is  1,.10()  miles,  of  wliieli  800  miles  are  deep-water  navi- 
gation, by  way  of  the  (Jreat  Lakes.  The  onlv  outlet  from  Lake  Su- 
perior IS  the  .St.  Mary  s  River,  which  is  7,5  miles  in  length.  The  (all  in 
this  distance  IS  '20  feet  and  4  inches,  and  of  this  18  feet  and  2  inches 
are  at  the  falls.     Thfe  only  channel  now  navigable  is,  for  the  first  35 


les  below  that  place,  so  tortuous  that  passage  thio\i;^h  it  at  night  is 

I'or  the  renmiiuler  of  the  ciistaufe  to  Liiko 


f    >' 


miles  heiow  tliat  place,  so 
unsafe  and  is  not  attempted. 
Union  the  navijjation  is  j^ood. 

For  more  than  two  tiundrod  years  tliis  avenue  of  water  coinmuuie.i- 
tion  has  been  in  use  by  civilized  man.  The  genius  of  Colbert,  who  in 
his  lifetime  advanced  France  from  the  stagnancy  of  seini-feudalisni  t() 
predominimce  in  the  greater  portion  of  North  America  and  to  rivalry 
with  England  on  the  (M-ean,  was  operative  throughout  the  vast  region 
that  stretches  froBi  Quel)ec  to  the  Upper  Mississippi  Uiver,  and  the  be- 
ginnings of  tralVic  were  made  along  this  route  more  than  two  centuries 
ago.  In  1679  Daniel  Greyaelon  Duluth  thus  transported  his  merchan- 
dise from  Quebec,  and  built  a  trading  post  near  the  site  of  the  city 
which  perpetuates  his  name.  The  day  of  batteaux  and  portages  pa-ssed 
away,  and  the  demands  of  the  modern  instrumentalities  of  commerce 
were  a.ss.'rted  by  the* commencement  by  the  Stiite  of  Michigan  in  1H.">2 
of  the  lirst  lock  at  the  Sault.  This  lock  ha<l  two  chambers,  eacii  70 
feet  wide,  330  feet  long  between  the  gates,  and  it  pas.sed  vessels  of  a 
maxininm  draughtof  11  feet  (5  inches.  This  structure  was  opened  lor 
business  in  1855.  The  first  years  tonnage  through  the  lock  was  100.- 
(1(10  tfliis.  In  18H0  it  was  1,700.000  tons.  This  freight  was  chietly  the 
iron  ore  of  the  Lake  Superior  mines,  which  were  even  then  supplying 
one-third  of  the  ore  for  the  total  pig-iron  production  of  the  United 
Stat«8. 

As  early  as  1 805  the  necessity  for  a  new  lock  of  greatly  increased 
capacity  became  manifest  from  the  yearly  rate  of  increase  of  the  ton- 
nage. Thi."»  lock  was  accordingly  constructed  by  the  United  States, 
and  wsis  opened  for  navigatioa  September  1,  1881. 

It  is  515  feet  long,  80  feetv.ide,  with  17  feet  of  water  over  the  miter 
sill.  While  it  was  under  construction  extensive  improvemt  nts  were 
made  in  the  canal  above  the  lock  and  in  the  river  below,  by  which  the 
depth  of  16  feet  of  navigable  water  was  obtained.  This  great  work  of 
engineering  has  .served  most  admirably  its  purjioses.  The  increased 
depth  of  water  made  it  possible  to  increase  the  carrying  capacity  of 
ves.sel8  designed  lor  the  Lake  Superior  trade.  This  augmentation  be- 
gan immediately,  and  has  continued  to  the  present  time.  The  average 
registered  capacity  of  these  vetwels  was  761  tons  in  1885.  In  188!>  it 
hatl  risen  to  t»f;5  tons,  an  increase  of  *204  tons  in  live  years. 

But  it  wiks  perceived  as  early  as  1881  that  the  yearly  tonnage  would 
soon  exceed  the  capacity  of  the  lock,  and  accordingly  Congress  liy  res- 
olution, adopted  December  29,  IHHL  retjuested  trom  the  War  Depart- 
ment information  '"as  to  what  additional  works  weie  necessary  on  the 
St.  Mary's  River,  and  at  St.  Marv's  Falls,  to  complete  the  improve- 
ments thereof  in  a  manner  to  .serve  theinterestsof  the  commerce  oft  be 
northern  lakes."  In  response  to  this  resolution  Cieneral  Weitzel.  then 
the  engineer  in  charge,  recommended  the  immediate  coustructicm  of 
another  lock  and  the  improvement  ol  the  Jlay  Lake  Channel,  and 
enforced  that  recommendation  by  most  convincing  arguments. 

The  river  and  harbor  act  of  August  5,  1886,  having  provided  for  be- 
ginning the  work  of  enlarging  the  canal,  appropriated  $250,000  "for 
continuing  the  improvement  by  u  nev/  lock  and  a|)proaches."  In  con- 
sequence of  the  passage  of  this  act,  the  War  Department  approved  a 
general  project  for  the  workof  enlargement,  based  upon  the  attainment 
I  I'  20  feet  in  depth  of  navigable  water.  This  included  the  construction 
■  I  a  new  lock  (upon  the  site  of  the  original  lock  of  1855)  800  feet  long 


6 


between  the  Rate^,  100  feet  wide  throuj;hoat.  with  31  feet  of  water  on 
the  ,„,t.,r.s,llH  overcoming;  the  dillVn.„..e  of  level  (18  feet)  wfth  J 
single  lilt,  (■.mil„ne(l  with  the  re(,uiHito  deepeuiiiK  of  the  caual.     The 

r  OIHMH/wf' """"  '"""  ^^""'-  "'"'  ''-^  '^^  Het\f  A««UHt  11  iim, 
■lil.ooo.ooowasappropriutedlor  itafurtht  "■■ 


er  prosecution.     The  estimated 


cost  o.  the  work  is  Kl.TlW.H.io.  l>ed»,.tinK  the  sum  ex,.ended  ",p  to 
t le  pres,.n.  t.mo  the  estimated  a.noaut  re.,«irea  for  the  completion S 
this  improvt  inent  is  .'f!;{,7;!8.8()r).  "W'^-i'""  "x 

nJui^f  in'Provement  of  tiio  Hay  Lake  Channel  is  a  neceasary  comple- 
n  em  to  the  construction  of  the  new  lock.  This  channel  leaves  tht 
p.csent  navi^r;,  ,|e  channel  about  two  and  a  half  miles  below  the  canal 

at'lhe"  hot  of  s'r.  '\^Tf\  ""',1  ■""••r""  *''*'  l^''^''^"'  uavigable  channe 
^L*  1,  ''l!',^  '.^'.^J?''\"''-     '^  a<lvanta«e  and  necessity  are  that  it 


ord  a  channe   naviKable  by  night,  which  is  impossible  by  the  present 
rcu. tons  route.    The  estimated  cost  ol  this  improven.ent  is  $- 05^1 1 ", 
or  this   lour  appropriations  have  been  made  since   the  year   1882 


_V,„   4  ii.       1.    ."  .        ■"'■       -»"'>■•  ■■•II K«^c   mill    iioufSMitv 

it  wir',/i^''  /k  '""■*'  hctweenthe  two  lakes  1 1  miles  out  ol  (uirThat 
L^aU":7„/!!!..^'.'ru':-^.".•_TT.^'''  ."l".~0  ^et  dr«,Kht,  and  willaf- 
cirr 
For 

Swo^kli^-S'fi"""'^'^;:"^  *"  w,^opr^;;;fe;i";:;eq;;;si;e';^  tin^ 

th^srw,^  *s  i  lil"  ws:        '"' ^PP-^opri^'tions  will  be  ne.essary  to  finish 
Forth.i  lock  

For  the  Hay  Lake  ChiinneV.V.V."'.; i'JiJ??(^- 

1,'>S4,  Ih) 

Totiil 

„       ,,       ,      ^    ,.     5,412.9«0 

ior  the  last  five  years  the  annual  rate  of  incrcivse  in  the  number  of 
ve^els  and  in  the  .juant  ty  an.i  value  of  frei^iht  conveyed  through  the 
lock  demonstrates  that  before  the  present  improvements  can  be  com- 
pleted the  lake  commerce  will  be  under  the  most  pressins  necessity 
lor  their  use.     Phis  u.s.sertiou  is  snsUiined  bv  the  IbUowin.'  table- 


Year. 


^  No.  vessi^ls 

;      iiiiM'-t'il 
through 
!       lock. 


Kroinlit 
toilIltlKC 


Vikliiiitioii. 


1886 

18S7  , 

1888 

1889 


a ,  380  3, 250,  fi2S  $,■«,  4 1 3, 472 
7.421  t,  r)i;7,  7'>'.»  i  till,  (i,«),(»7l 
s.rvio      r>,4!»»,(.4!i  :    7>.i,():i  1,7.57 


.><i»:i      •>,4ii,i2;{ 

a,  579  j     7,510,022 


82.  I,'i<i,019 
83, 732, 527 


rJ^,       I         'V'""  *'"'  '*'^^"'''  ♦''"^''''''*  tonnaffe.     The  stati.stics  of  the 

vShss  it' wl  -'r.oTo'"'  ''"'  "'"  ""*  •'''  '">'  ••"""»^^"'l.  '>"t  for  the 
f^nu  r  f  ^a\".  >•"',(>•'!•  t.ms,  convcyinfr,  a.s  has  been  seen,  (i,4Il,  l-.':{ 
tonsof  at|tual  (rei«ht.  Theactual  frci^-ht  tonna-e  t,.r  1S8<)  wa.s7  r,l«  022 
tons,  am  thi.s,  as  a  basis  of  estimate,  determines  the  registered  vessel 
tonna-ie  lor  tliat  year  to  be  abo  it  (J.'JOO.Ooo  tons 

result"^  ^mi^-'rative  statement^  will  illustrate  the  importanceofthe.se 
results.  In  1888  the  entries  at  and  clearances  from  the  port  of  New 
Orleans  were,  registered  tons,  entries,  721,1-28:  registered  tons  clear- 
ances. 727,.VJ0;  total,  1.44H,(i48.  During  the  same  year  the  reKisteri 
tonnage  locked  through  the  St.  Marys  (anal  wius  6,41 1.4  2.i  tons  "'he 
SnT'ff  1^  expended  six  and  one-half  millions  of  dollars  in  deepen- 
ing the  channel  at  the  mouth  of  the  Mississippi  Kiver  and  into  the  Gulf. 
in  this  It  did  wisely.      The  error  was,  as  here,  that  the  work  was  delaved 


iT 


6 

too  louR.  The  >jrwit  mnu  to  wliose  genius  this  country  owes  th«^  dcepen- 
iUK  ol  the  outUa  of  th»!  Alissivsippi  Itiver  wua  lirst  thwiirtod  aixl  then 
(lelityod  yeur  alter  year.  whiU-  (•(.miuerce  stood  at  anchor  waiting  lor  th« 
piuaiinouiouH  waatefuhusH  oLstiuiyr  legislation.  Tlie  work  onw  .lone  a 
new  era  ol  prosperity  In-ijan  in  the  Soutli.  New  Orleiius  rc>,'jiine«l  ii'er 
torniercoinnuMciul  Kieatne.^.  A  railroad  from  the  Paciili!  run  its  earn 
a  nn«side  tlu-  oieau  ve.ssels.  And  then  ev.-rv hod v  deplored  the  fact  that 
t  le  work  had  not  l)et!n  done  yeuw  before,  as  it  easily  nnjjht  have  ItH-en-  for 
these  years  meant  ho  many  years  <»f  the  ariested  ■development  of  fr'reat 
htiites,  ol  exUirtionute  railroad  rates,  of  low  priee.s,  and  the  slow  settle- 
ment ol  vast  and  fertile  regions  l)ctwei'U  the  .Missi.ssiopi  River  and  th^ 
I  aeiHc  Ocean.  Hnrely  the  .sumo  considcratious  are  pre.sented  in  the 
Bituation  under  consideration,  hut  witii  the  added  force  of  a  greater 
tonnage,  and  therefore  of  a  more  impenitive  necessity  in  that  re- 
spect. 

Another  comparison  will  show  most  impres-sively  the  relative  im- 
portance ot  the  commor(!e  of  Laice  Superior,  which  wholly  depends 
npon  the  present  lock,  and  which  may  be  utterly  prostrated,  to  the 
incalculable  damage  of  jtreat  iuUiests  and  comniun'itics  by  aciidcnt to 
the  structure.  The  total  registered  tonnage  euteretl  and  cleared  in  all 
the  porta  ol  the  United  States  irom  and  to  foreign  countries  in  188H 
wiia  ;n,()62,UU7  tons.  In  the  same  year  the  registered  tonnage  throu-'h 
this  lock  was  (estimated)  «.:.>00,(»00  tons,  being  al)out  20  per  cent  of 
the  amount  ol  tho  tonnage  entered  and  cleared  in  that  vejir  from  all 

Vro.P«"''f  ."*"  ^^^  ^  "^^'-'^^  '^*'"*'"^  •"  its  foreign  commerce.  Of  this, 
U,^^0,Hl.,  tons  entered  ;md  cle.»red  at  the  port  of  New  York— less 
than  one  half  more  than  the  tonr>age  through  tiiis  lock  during  the  .same 
year.  Ihe  merchandise  that  ini'^sed  through  the  lock  in  IHSH  was  of 
grejiter  value  than  that  of  either  total  exports  or  imports  during  that 
year  at  any  port  of  the  United  States  excepting  New  York  City 

So  far  as  American  ahip-building  is  concerned,  that  of  the  Great 
Lakes  wiis  nearly  equal  in  IHfW  to  that  of  the  entire  seaboard,  and  sur- 
passes It  m  avenge  tonnage  of  v&sscls.  In  that  vear  70H  vejisels  were 
built  on  our  entire  seaboanl,  measuring  105,125  tons,  while  on  the 
Great  Lakes242  vessels  were  built,  mciiauriug  101,103  tons.  The  ave- 
rage tonnage  of  these  veasels  as  to  the  great  lakes  was  455  tons,  while 
the  average  as  to  all  v&ssels  built  on  the  sea-board  was  only  143  tons 

The  number  of  vessels  engaged  in  the  commerce  of  the  Great  Lakes 
)fnf.^l> .  ^^^^  '^''^^^-  '^'*'''^  represent  an  investment  of  nearly  $50  - 
OW  ,000.  ^one  of  these  that  draw  over  16*  feet  can  engage  to  their 
lull  capacity  in  the  enormous  tralHc  of  Lake  Superior.  Were  this  a 
matter  of  corporate  enterpri.se  and  investment,  such  as  a  railroad  need- 
ing a  new  bridge  at  such  a  point,  the  work  would  have  been  done  lonif 
since  by  private  means.  " 

Consider  the  commerce  of  a  single  city  during  the  year  1889— the 
city  of  Duluth.  Theshipmentsof  iron  ore  from  that  point  were  82<i  814 
tons,  as  against  504,110  tons  in  IKSH.  an  increase  of  320,000  toas  in'one 
year.  Ihe  shipments  in  18^<4.  when  export  from  the  Minnesota  iron 
mines  began,  were  only  (i2, 122  tons.  This  ore  is  of  the  tinest  quality 
It  18  produced  from  the  Iron  Range  of  Minnesota.  These  mine-  are 
inexhaustible.  Six  years  ago  that  region  was  utt«rly  uninhabited  It 
IS  now  the  seat  of  great  mining  operations,  which  are  rapidh  increas- 
ing. It  IS  traversed  by  railroads,  and  cities  have  sprung  un  in  the 
wilderness.  ^      »     ^  "«  i"<» 


_  The  wheat  received  and  shippo.l  fn.m  that  port  iu  1880  wan  3.021  - 
8.7  msheU  n.ore  were  received  1 7. IJ 1 0,(105  bushels  in  1HH9.  The 
?X"»"\*'^"?''  n,  IHKJwore  H))1,h(.o  barrels;  in  1889  they  werj 
2,ifiniK,,i  barrels.      Nearly  all  of  this  is  the  prod.iet  of  the  KfeTtSt 

SIX  Clays  been  lM7,t^oO  mrrels,  an  averuKo  of  31,175  borrels  each  day. 
i  he  elevator  capiMiity  is  l»,r,(»o,(XK)  bushels.  ^ 

1  rJ'r  I!;!!;':*  **'*'. '■^_'"**'P"'  ■*  Omuthwere  420,000  tons,  as  aeaiiist 
1,045  (KX  tons  id  1889.  The  arrivals  an.l  dearanc««  of  vT^els  it  this 
port  in  1HH9  were  2,554  ve*«eLs,  of  registered  ton^ije  2T75  luV  ,2 
auainst  1,808  ve»«ls  in  18HH,  of  rexiHt^red  tonn^M^e  l.!n','v«  t^i"  '  JJ 
this  period  the  average  registere<l  capacity  of  the  veasels  ncreasTdVrom 
w:i  ?oTto°nr  '^°'-  '°  '•**  *■""'  ^•^"^^  "'"'"'«  "''*»  1889  t'h^nereaS 
lll^iOu.ff"'^  **""''  ''°^  ^  16.27  miles;  the  length  of  dock  face  is 

thleVockT'"*'  ™"''*'^*'  "°'^  ""''"'  '^^**'"^  '*°°^'='  ^'«<="y  ^'"> 

8t.  Paul  and  Diiluth „ 

Northern  PaciUo  and  branches ~'"" — ..— _ 

Diilutli  and  Irou  UaiiKe  ""'" " ~— — „ 

Duluth,  Small  Shore  atMl  AiVaiitio""Z " ~ 

n  iacoQaiiii  Central ~—— »__ ~....™...., 

Milwaukee,  I ^kn  Shore  and  Westerol"".""" 

Duluth  and  Winnlpoir  " 

Duluth.  Itcd  WinBand  >ioutheiuZ.Z^.'.\ZTZTZl"Z'Z"7!^ZZ~Z^^^  ~ 

ToUl _ 

This  is  but  the  statement  of  the  commerce  of  a  single  city.     Th  it  of 
Superior.  A^land,  ilonghton.  Marquette,  Ontonagon  and  other  Jort^ 
^^.^^^'^^^  ^.coi^pr^d  the  enormous  output  of  the  iron  and  ie; 
mines  of  Wisc-oasin  and  Michigiin.  go.*  to  "make  ap  the  vast  aggSL 
expr^  by  the  statistics  of  the  opei^tions  of  the'^canal  ZdSk^^ 

mere  can  be  no  doubt  that  a  case  of  unrency  is  presented  bv  the 
pr^ent  8ituatk,n      Asearly  as  1881,  immeclTteiya  Jr  S^SJipl^t  on 

2L  n  ^T"*  ''^■^'  "^'i^'"^  ^^«'^^  ''^^'^y  *■«'««»''  the  necessity  whch 
has  now  bec-ome  immediate,  and  he  then  urged  the  commencement  of 
the  improvenients  now  under  con.structiou.  Opposition  di^^ion 
and  delay  were  interposed,  and  the  work  was  norbegun  ui^TsS' 
Five  years  have  passed,  and  it  is  yet  in  its  preliminary  stages  Tb^ 
lock  now  in  use  was  built  in  the  usual  leisurely  way.  and  ten  yeara 
were  consumed  in  completing  it  ' 

General  Poe,  who  succeeded  General  Weitzel,  most  forcibly  stated 

^  !;"ap;XdThr  •  "Seiais!^ '''  ^^^' '''  °«^-^*^  "^  *»>«  «^*-«- 

ro^aTe'f  :-d^i;r!f  utTr'S'^tZ^re^rr  !,IX  "^7.*^^^.^.:  ^^""^^^ 

inl'jhi"""""'  °C^'o*J.«*''  P»««*"IC  the  canal  has  Increased  from  1.567  741  tona  dur- 
•?«  sffi .  *^"  °^1^^  ^  a.»74.557  tons  in  1884.  or  in  the  three  years  an  inwewe  5 


MllM. 

292 

.     8,850 

-    7,067 

.    3.100 

117 

929 

775 

70 

•a 

16,495 


I 

I    I 


8 

Should  till*  r»te  of  Inoreaae  rnntlniie.  tfin  prrMnt  locknire  Hyatfm  will  hn  In- 
KiillliK-iit  Inpiwin  IlifioiiiiniTce  Idiik  brforc  it  rnii  l>«.  In  the  iinukI  nourNeof  •»• 
liroprlitlionn  for  river  ami  hurbiir  liii|iriiveiiiuiiu,  eiiliirirftil  tu  mert  the  irri'ator 
(loiniindN  upon  It. 

Kor  llip  rin<N>n  yi>«ni  prere.llnBr  IMS4  llin  niiiinal  IniTewm  In  the  reKl«»..re<l  ton- 
tinuii  iiHlriir  tli«t  f»niil  wax  tonipariilivcly  uniform,  hiiiI  uvttniKeti  about  107^13 

In  I8H4,  hownvcr.  the  Inorcn^c  >*<a'<'.«n,57Mtonn.  ThUliiorfnuo  wannloncnquRl 
•i>  liie  pntire  cumnierw  IhniUKh  tho  <'itnnl  from  IhTvI  to  IHlMt,  tlin  firm  live  yeorn 
thfoanal  wan  In  oppralion,  ami  i-<well  cHlciilHti'd  to  ularllo  all  who  fi>cl  any 
ln|eri'«t  In  lht>  roiitn  by  iakei  Iwlweini  our  ({rt-al  Nortb\v."4t  and  tho  Htmboard 

It  iirKenIn  the  utronnHNt  way  that  the  work  of  pn>pnrlnK  to  take  <»r«of  apom- 
iiieri'.'  Kreator  than  the  prr«pnt  ciumi  and  Im-kaKP  MyHt<>in  could  Mocom nindnte 
■hall  Ih'  entered  upon  without  dvliiy. 

The  eHlimated  capacity  of  the  present  lock  is  ninety-nix  vetMeU  in 
twenty-lour  hours.  In  1HH7  eiKhty-t'our  ve.s8els  were  pissed  in  one  day 
in  .Tune,  and  in  coinmenlini;  upon  this  and  other  liicta  little  less  im- 
pressive, (jeneral  Pih3  remarked: 

Thil  now  we  aro  face  to  faro  with  tho  fact  that  durinK  the  month  or.7une,  KMT, 
ahiiio.  tho  comnierie  thruuKh  tho  catial  amounteu  to  50  p«>r  oont.  more  than  for 
a  whole  year  an  it  exlmed  at  the  tiiuo  thu  enlarifeiu.nt  was  proiotlo<l  and  that 
ItlKincreadnBrrluhtalonjratBuch  a  ralo  antooxoeed  tho  wildoHt  prodiilloimof 
ten  yearn  afio. 

And  SO  it  has  increased.  It  roa*  from  8,5:50  vessels  in  1887  to  9,579 
Teasels  in  188f);  from  5,494, 04U  freight  tons  in  1887  to  7,516,02!>  freight 
tons  in  1889.  The  increase  has  been  at  tho  rate  of  a  little  over  1,000,000 
tons  per  annum  since  1885,  an<l  that  it  will  hereafter  continue  to  in- 
crease at  a  rate  even  greater  no  one  can  donbt  who  will  give  any  con- 
Bideration  to  the  facts.  The  iron  and  coal  and  wheat  freights  alone 
will  within  the  next  two  years  exceed  the  capacity  of  the  present  lock. 
Production  of  all  these  i.s  increasing  with  unexampled  rapidity.  These 
are  the  products  which  inevitjibly  seek  the  nearest  navigable  water. 
The  demand  Ibr  them  has  no  limit.  Tho  nece«»ity  for  low  freights  by 
a  water  route  and  as  a  competitive  regulator  of  nulrond  freights,  and- 
for  speedy  and  uninterrupted  transit,  tonchea  nearly  the  farmers  of  the 
Northwest,  the  producers  of  coal  and  manufactured  iron  in  the  East, 
and  the  consnmera  everywhere  of  the  food  products  of  the  West. 

The  engineer  in  charge  has  made  a  careful  estimate  of  the  average 
cost  per  mile  per  ton  of  freight  carried  through  the  St.  Mary's  Falls 
Canal  during  the  season  of  1888.     It  is  aa  follows: 

At  paues  I'.iJJ  ft  tfq.,  anniiiil  report  of  tlio  Chief  of  KuKlneern,  I88S,  In  printed 
ari-porl  unon  tliis  inton-Mlinjc  HUbjiot  for  the  year  1HS7.  KoIIowIuk  the  name 
plan,  tiie  data  have  been  obtained  (or  nimilar  HtaliKtii-n  for  the  year  IHSH  The 
work  ban,  itx  beforo,  been  done  during  the  olbcrwino  idle  montiin  of  winlor  by 
and  under  tin- direction  of  .Mr.  An.irow  .JotkHon,  tlerk  of  ttie  canal,  aided  by 
AHsmtant  Huperinlondentfl  Charles  A.  McCarthy  and  Ueuben  Smith  and  Olljco 
Watchman  A.  N.  Phillitm. 

The  tables  from  whioli  the  deductions  were  madccomprise  (itW  puKCM  of  fools- 
cap, and  Indicate  the  thoroughness  with  which  tho  work  was  don.-  Thev  con- 
sist of  two  parts,  the  tlrnt  deleruiiniuK  the  total  number  of  Ion  miles  iiu'd  tho 
svcraKO  distance  the  frciRht  Wiis  trmisported  ;  the  second  dctcrminiiiK  the  cost 
ot  tninsportation  per  ton  p  r  mile 

The  total  numl«'rof  ton  miles  traversed  by  vessels  pansinuthrouRh  the  canal 
duriUH:  thecaleniliir  year  ISS-S  wjis  ■),l73,132,yTi;,  and  the  total  number  of  frciKht 
tons  (of  2,0110  Dounds)  trans  jjrtod  during  the  sumo  lime  by  all  passinR  craft  rei;- 
istered  and  unregistered,  was  G,41l,4i.3.  DividinR  the  former  by  the  latter  It  is 
foiUKi  that  the  averaRe  distance  such  freight  as  passed  throiiKh  tho  canal  was 
carried  by  water  was  *»fi.O  miles,  an  aRainst  HU..1  during  the  year  1SH7.  This  de- 
crease of  4..^  miles  in  theaveraitP  <listance  freight  was  transported  isaccounted 
for  l)y  the  fiillinR  off  in  wheat  traffic,  which  isa  lonR-distance  freight,  the  greater 
portion  of  it  lieing  carried  from  Duluth  to  Buffalo,  and  the  increase  In  the  Iron- 
ore  Iraftlc.  which  is  usually  a  considerably  shorter  distance  freiirht,  the  sreater 
amount  of  it  being  transported  from  Marquette  to  Ohio  port*. 


"W. 


0 


T)il»i»«j»pon<l  imrt  of  Hip  Inrinlrv  yl..|.l,.,|  r.-miiltmmi.li  morpcomnlete.nH— tl«. 
After  iifloptlnKll.P  iivorftv'«  r»te  the  qimnHlv  of  canli  oommodlty  wa«  miiltl 


Item. 


Coal. 


tonn., 


SI"'"";- .' "hnrrelB; 

^''""t buMhalH. 

Corn » > rf- 


Qti«ntitjr. 


Oata. 


.do.. 


Iron,  manufactiiredM .'„.'.". tonii 

?*.»" - .".VbarrelH." 

V"l>l'er  t.>M8.. 

I"^"""-," _ do... 

'•■""■P'K do... 

£',',""'"■'■ M  feet.. 

Hilyer  ore. tons.. 

MinldinK  stone ^f, 

UnjIttHiiided  frel({lit » !l!!!!!.do!." 


ToUl  , 


2,1(10,041 

2,190,72.% 

IH,  AW. .%}! 

J,  «'.>«,  (M8 

.11)6, 240 

4M,mfl 

2I0.4.'M 

28,  iWO 

2, 570,  ,'517 

14,841 

2411,372 

;!.■'  541 
345,  KM 


A  v«rnK« 
frelKlit 
ohiir){e 

perunit. 


to.  70 

•  m 

.0.']| 
.041 

.m 

1.80 
.10 

2.;» 

l.'.'H 
1.30 
2.80 
1. 00 

2.  m 

.1. 00 


Amount. 


51, 473,  (528. 70 

.183,  ,T7n.  H7 

«»0,872.20 

70, 4(12.  Oft 

19,812.00 

87,  '.m.  20 

.33, 6B1).  Jrt 

fW.irxl.OO 

3,2'.)0,'2«l.7« 

1!»,2!R'.20 

67.3,041.00 

«.4.il.,'i0 

fix,  7,-><t.  n« 
1.037, 5(12.  (10 


7, 883, 077. 40 


i,S,t    1^'  P""*'  ""  "  '"7"-  "  ?7.«H3."77  40  an  ftKnin«t  »IO,(r75,l,53.13  In  1887     Divid- 
jfn    U.V    .h**"""".'^"^  rruiKhtrharKUH  l.y  the  total  ....n.lVr  ol  n"  leHon/Rivei; 

2..1m  IlH,  th  iH  MhowiMwra  reduc-tion  of  ei^ht  le.ith.H  of  a  nil  1   in  1888      T  ,i«  ™^ 
only  ho  explained  hy  ..h.-aper  frelRht  rat^M.dne  toa  Rrener  proportion  of  oarAr" 
lnK..i|.«,Mty  n.  .o.npar.son  withthe  demand  therefor;   to  an  intTea-o  "„  theiiVe 
2nH   ?..  nT'".'  •*'"'  "  '■'"•■•«"'P"'"linK  reduction  in  the  eom  of  earryinff  per  ton 
and  i>oHsll,ly  to  »ome  e.xtent  to  co.np.lition  on  the  part  of  the  railways.  ' 

In  1MS7  the  rotoHinrc-ed  for  transport! jiir  nierclinndise  from  Buffalo 
to  Dnluth  aveianed  .id  per  cent,  more  than  from  Hnffalo  to  Chicairo 
the  <| ..stances  heinj:  an bstan tial ly  e.,u„ I.  Tlie  larger  the  vessel  the  less 
the  reiitht  charue  is  a  Rencral  rnle.  Hut  tlie  largest  ve.s.sels  now  npon 
llu"  lakes  can  not  enjiaRe  in  the  Lake  Snperior  trade.  Their  draught  is 
too  Kieat  to  paas  the  lock  when  lo.vle.l  to  their  lull  capacitv  Vet  the 
incrcTsinK  demand  lor  tonnau'e  npon  the  (ireat  Lakes  has  civen  an  ex- 
traordinary impulse  t.)  tlie  building  of  iron  and  wooden  ship.s  In  18R7 
there  were  under  construction  in  the  .ship-vard.s  of  the  lakes  sixteen 
steamers,  to  cost  .H-,>Ol),00()  each,  and  nineteen  steamers  to  cost  $i:r>  00(1 
each,  representing  an  investment  in  one  vear  of  $.5, 67.-), 000  more  than 
enough  to  hnish  the  lock  and  improve  the  Ifay  Lake  Channel.  The 
average  carrying  capacity  of  this  new  tonnage  is  2,100  tons.  The  new 
lock  and  improved  channel  will  give  increased  capacity  for  the  Lake 


f 

1 

! 

il- 


10 

Snjjrlor  trade  by  4  feet  of  water  additional,  an  increase  of  3!?  1  per 

Its™lw  nUlfJS'l'"  l'"""*  '°^'l«^°'*t«  state  of  development. 

•11  u  utilization  has  been  practically  reachefl   and  th»t  ii,,,it 

wiU  be  surpassed  lonj,  before  tl^e  most  strenuous  1  borba^^kfd  ly  ! 

^  =??t{r^S^t  SS^i^'^Tar^^"-'-  ^ 

s^Si5?lrt;Se:^-,^-«-^^=  s^^^ 

r«i.ai^®n'  ''.'^^'iv^^^  t«"sof  freight  were  transported  over  the  Frie 
LTt'c.n'lr;!  t4n 'Kn^^'^  '''''^'  .reight^nnage  thrJIlgh^h: 

thJS^S:^Srri='T:S£i^^x?;f''""'^-  ''  i 

intercourse  between  the  E.»st  and  the  WeLt  Its  nolf  ..frfr  "^ 
and  commercial  inliuenee  is  of  more  imporSce  than  il  the  wa  S 
have  ever  been  lought  for  the  possession  of  tbg  ^U-th  ,t  hitCt 

Suez  Canal  was  IS  l«i  tons  ,      v   wl  ili  fh    j  -i  »™r»l-'efor  the 

Sto.  M.,«  Canal  dlu?ng ?t A^ Jhl 'r^''  „rt'SS\T„''^^ 

M,™  Canal,  an,l  tl,i>  number  immaaed  In  1889 rS,«9  ve»°I° 
rtLl2'?k  "Tf  '?"  «»"»"■"««»"  of  oew  maritlmi  ront«  Si,  often 

and  in,po«d  upon  India  tL  domi„Tor„f  ^'^Ipe™  Se,  '""'™' 

exJa'n'dTh^^^SKSotS^S.r'^t'rof'''-'^'!"^^^^^ 

the  original  thirteeS  Sates  or  the  SJi™*"  ""  »  "«"■"  '"«"  <■""' 

c^r.\rrniZd°'.h?SaSs^.  e'Se'sr„',rdT.  "'"'r'™- 
r«pS:'er.:TtrXti2r'-^^ 


11 


per 


wenf     0  VrmtToTt  hi  P  f  ""•'''  ^5*'  ^P*^^''     ^he  loreea  of  the  Union 
ever  h,.,.n    ■    1  V^  ■  .     :     ^"^  substitute  for  the  water  wuvs  has 

by  then.  Irom  St   r-u.fto  t  ^rnlf  nf  v,    ""'""'P^'u^*'^^"  "  paralleled 

which  run  tlu-ou^h  zon^.  nf  Urt  f'PP'.^"'  **'*^  Missouri  Jiivers. 
of  their  former  mLrftw.  r*^^  P'oductions,  will  resuu.e  ali 
however  F^^t  a,,    fvl^,  J^"  '"■*'''^"'  tendency  of  commeice  is. 

of  tile  I'nit..,!  vj*  .♦  .     ^""^"'er.iuon.     1  lie  overland  cotnnierce 

Knates    t Tew  f  r^!  .n        ^""^^^''^.^  "^  t^e  Southern  Pacific,  ^^  hich 
•ronTtSrn  V  ot%^     n  '•     V'^^/^^^^c^n  beshortened  to  l,2u()  mil.a 

North  oak'^s^^t^m^th^X^^^^^^  '^'"''"^  °^"  ^"^•'-^- 

KhoS7s."iTirvLST^^^  '^^^^^  '^y  "^'^'^^  they  tresustaiS. 

I  acihc.     It  IS  already  in  operation  bevond  Helena   Monf      Thpi  tJL! 

square  miles  of  territory  and  .{.OOO.OOO  of  inhS  'tanS        t  iVriei,  i^ 
gram,  herds,  forests,  and  minerals.     Its  llelds  arfnot  one  tenth  oliu 


12 

pied.  Its  mines  are  as  yet  only  in  the  preliminary  stage  of  prodnctive- 
ne>w.  1  li(>  instrumentalities  <>l  our  present  civilization  are  such  that 
whereas  Stites  lormerly  grew,  tiiey  now  become  such  by  an  almost 
instantaneous  process,  as  time  is  measured  in  the  life  of  nations  Under 
such  processes  thesp  States  have  appeared.  They  have  the  right  to 
their  natural  advantages,  and  among  them  all  not  one  is  greater  than 
the  right  to  use  to  its  fullest  extent  this  great  northern  water  way  to 
the  ocean  which  J'rovidence  in  preparing  this  region  lor  man  and  his 
institutions  extended  nearly  half  wav  across  the  continent 

Kilt  these  states  are  not  alone  concerned.  The  most  vital  interests 
ol  Michigan  and  Wisconsin  are  involved.  Omaha  is  nearer  to  Duluth 
than  It  is  to  Chicago,  and  the  State  of  Nebraska  is  deeply  interested  in 
the  enjoyment  ot  these  natural  advantages.  The  same  is  true  of  Wv- 
oming.  IJy  present  lines  of  communication  San  Francisco  is  100  milies 
nearer  to  Duluth  than  it  is  to  Chicago.  The  construction  of  a  railroad 
trom  Ogden  thro.igh  Wyoming  into  South  Dakota,  there  to  connect  with 
.onstructed  railways  that  have  their  terminals  at  the  Bay  of  Superior 
wi  1  shorten  this  distance  to  navigable  water  nearly  three  hundred 
miles,  and  create  a  tratHc  competition  to  the  Atlantic  seaboard  which 
under  the  present  railroad  arrangements  can  not  exist.  Railway  con- 
straction  now  m  progress  will  shorten  the  distance  between  Duluth  and 
Pnget  Sound  to  1.800  miles,  thus  bringing  that  great  haven  within  that 
distance  ot  the  navigable  waters  that  flow  into  the  Atlantic  Ocean 
This  will  place  the  city  of  New  York  within  10,500  miles  of  Canton 
By  the  Suez  Canal  it  is  now  distant  20,500  miles  and  by  the  Cape  of 
Crood  Hope  ^'i.SOOmiles,  while  I^jndon  by  the  Suezroute'is  IROOOmiles 
trom  Canton.  ' 

Were  positions  changed  so  that  England  in  her  determined  attempt 
to  engross  the  commerce  of  the  world,  stood  in  the  place  of  the  United 
State.s  with  such  an  element  of  power  and  commerce  as  this,  not  a  dollar 
would  be  spared,  not  a  subsidy  would  be  wanting,  not  an  hour  would 
be  wasted  in  developing  it  to  its  fullest  capacity.  This  lock  would 
havi>  been  built  long  ago.  This  channel  would  have  been  deepened 
1  he  Canadian  canals  would  have  been  enlarged,  and  ocean  vessels  would 
now  be  plying  between  Liverpool  and  the  head  of  Lake  Superior 

1  he  advantages  to  be  considered  as  accruing  to  us  do  not  come  en- 
tirely from  theresourcesofourownterritory.  Another  railway  stretches 
trom  ocean  to  ocean  across  the  Dominion  of  Canada.  It  wiis  built  by 
lavish  subsidies,  and  it  is  sustained  by  a  most  liberal  policy  When 
we  consider  the  geographical  situation,  the  population  and  resources  ol 
Canada,  that  railway  deserves  to  be  considered  as  one  of  the  most  in- 
trepid and  beneliceiit  works  of  that  character  ever  constructed  It  trav- 
erses a  region  west  of  Winnipeg  of  great  productivcnes.s,  but  it  can  not 
always  hold  the  monopoly  of  the  colonial  traffic.  I>ines  of  railway  are 
now  under  construction  from  Duluth  into  its  territory  and  far  to  the 
north  beyond  it.  The  NortI  rn  i'acilic  and  other  riiilroads  are  also 
sending  out  their  laterals  into  the  north,  beyond  our  own  dominions 
All  ihese  have  terminals  on  the  iiay  of  Superior,  and  the  tratfic  of  all 
th<!se  isin  various  degrees  dependent  upon  the  outlet  through  the  St 
Ma-y  s  K'iver. 

The  Northwestern  States,  and  particularly  the  States  that  have  re- 
cently been  admitted  into  the  Union,  are  entitled  to  most  generous  con- 
sideration. Iheir  people  created  those  commonwealths  with  little 
aid.      rhey  fought  Indian  wars.     They  endured  privations  that  were 


"T^SaB 


13 

di?tance"°Th^f!t'  """"I/^Tt  •?^*''-^"'"f  «^«^  obstacle  of  climate  and 
distance.  They  are  u  the  Un.»)n,  un.lowered  as  yet  by  any  such  w- 
proprmtions  as  have  unproved  the  navigable  waters  of  the  older  btate? 

^t/J'^^lT  "°:'  *''"",*  '''^•r'  *•'  °'  "''^'""''-  P°^'"-    When  they  became 
States     the  wi.le  arch  of  the  ran«'d  empire ' '  waa  completed  from  sea 
to  sea.     They  surely  ask  but  little  in  requesting  that  this  ureat  work 
s;Si7y'cltruS^  ''''^''  "-^*  i-portanhnterests^de^plrbe 

They  are  entitled  to  all  their  natural  facilitie.s,  both  of  water  and  of 
land  transportation.  These  advantages  -should  be  improved  ami  not 
neglected,  much  less  thwarted. 

The  enterprise  aud  capital  of  the  Northwest  have  built  a  railroad 

mJ?;? i?^er"wth't7'T""°,'-  ^"^'  '"••^*«'^"  *^«^  connects  at  the  St 
Maiy  8  luver  with  the  Canadian  .system  of  railways,  and  thus  com- 
pletes another  line  ol  transcontinental  railway,  partly  through  the  Do- 
minion of  Canada  and  partly  through  the  United  States.  This  s  stem 
IS  in  the  chain  of  connection  with  the  railroads  of  New  England  and 
gives  to  New  Eng  and  and  to  the  West  a  shorter  route  than  that  Sy 
the  central  lines.  It  has  been  proposed  to  legislate  and  to  proceed  by 
^,3  rtr*'""",  *'^";"'^  l^''  advantage  which  our  people  have  thus  se^ 
cured  to  themselves  by  their  own  unaided  energy,  util  zing  the  natural 

80  great  that  ong  before  their  improvement  waa  practicable  they  wire 
inducements  that  populated  tlie  Northwest  ^ 

wm  ,^'*^.'*''  ^ell  be  understood  that  the  people  of  the  new  Northwest 
will  insist  upon  their  geographical  advantages.     No  good  can  come  of 
any  attempt  U.  neutralize  them.     If  the  farmer,  the  miller'the  n  "ner 
the  grazier  of  this  region  can  get  a  shorter  haul  and  a  lower  freight  by 
*^nd,ng  their  products  along  the  shorter  line  of  a  northern  latitude  it 

th^rTon  '^'P!"^^'  *"  ^'"  '*r  '*  '^  '«  P^"^'*  by  *^«  productions  of 
their  soil  If  the  consumer,  the  manuiacturer,  the  merchant  of  any 
Eastern  State  can  thus  receive  these  products  and  pay  for  them  by 
sending  their  commodities  for  a  lowr  fn-ight  along  the  shorter  Ime  of 
a  northern  lat.t  ude,  it  is  iis  much  thei.-  right  to  do  ir^s  it  is  to  consume 

ir,!"pr"i  •  P '•.'  "•■  \T^^-  -^^  ^"" '"  "*''*•■*""  ''■«'^1'^^« «««i°«t  th« South- 
ern Pacific  K'ailroad  bwuiuse  it  reaches  tide-water  bya  route  800  miles 

shorter  than  the  railroads  immediately  to  the  north  of  it 

infn"/hf  "'"*''r  *""",'^''""'"  *''""  *''"^«  "'■  '"'"•*^'y  l"'^'^!  advantage  enter 
into  this  question.     (Jur  coinm.rcial  and  political  relations  with  Can- 
ada ought  to  be  most  intimate  and  friendly.     Here  are  two  nati;>ns 
self-governing,  whose  people  are  of  tlie  .same  .stock,  who  speak  the  .same 
language,  who  are  on  the  path  of  the  .s.H.ne  destiny,  and  who  are  di- 
vided by  no  natural  barriers.     Nothing  is  more  certain  than  that  these 
nation.s  will  m  time  coalesce  politically.     This  union,  if  it  is  to  he 
eflectedby  peacelul   mean.s,  must  be  preceded  by  a  Iraternal  feelin.' 
caused  by  jnst  and  fair  dealing  by  the  strong  republic  vith  its  weaker 
yet  energetic  an.l  high-spirited  n.ighhor.     The  boundary  line  between 
them  should  be  a  mere  mark  on  the  map,  subject  to  obliteration    and 
not  a  garrisoned  rampart  with  soldiers  on  either  side.     There  should 
be  reciprocal  freedom  of  trallic.  transportatioii,  and  intercourse      These 
nations  haye  within  the  last  thirty  years  grown  apace  with  each  other 
Minne.sofabecameaprosperoiiscoiiimonwealtli.andatonceanei.rhbor 
nSfj;H     t'""'''"^,"^"  '"^'^"*'"^'»-  appealed  equipped  with  all  the  forces 
of  civilization.     The  settlement  and  political  organization  of  Dakota 


!     Ih 


■'M^ 


14 

Montana,  and  Wasliinfrton  wore  matched  by  tbecontcmporaneon-i  polit- 
ical development  ol  tlie  provinces  of  Assiiiniboiii,  Saskatchewan,  Al- 
berta, and  Hritiah  Colniubia.  'I  he  Northern  I'acilic  l^ailroad  demon- 
strated the  productiveness  of  that  northern  re<^io'.i.  It  reached  the 
■waters  of  i'nj;ct  Smnid.  Great  cities  arose  npon  those  shorea.  Fol- 
lowinn  close  npon  this,  and  with  the  relation  of  effect  to  canse.  the 
Canadian  Government  cansed  to  be  constructed  another  railway  across 
the  continent,  terniinatinu;  npon  the  same  waters,  and  cities  likewise 
jrrose  tiiere.  We  are  constrncting  a  new  lock  at  the  falls  of  the  St. 
Mary's  K'iver.  and  in  1HH7  the  sum  of  l{!l,(K)0,0O()  was  voted  by  the 
Canadian  Parliament  for  Hie  construction  of  a  canal  and  lock  along  the 
eastern  shore  o!  the  same  river. 

The  Eiustern  States  have  been  benefited  incalculably  by  the  Western 
development  of  ])olitical  in^titntion.s,  civilization,  an«l  wealth.  It  has 
created  an  internal  comnierne  greater  far  than  all  our  foreign  trade. 
A  .similar  development  is  in  pn»j;ress  in  the  territory  north  of  our  own. 
That  along  the  ;{,OliO  miles  of  boundary  which  distinguishes  but  can 
not  .separate  the.se  homoi^eneons  peoples  fortB  should  confront  forta; 
that  armies,  great  or  small,  should  occupy  the  strategic  points  of  either 
country;  that  armored  ships  should  lie  in  wait,  as  they  now  do,  for  re- 
prisals and  war:  that  hostile  commercial  legislation  or  hostile  execu- 
tivt  action  should  be  the  policy  of  either  country;  that  either  Govern- 
ment should  waste  thousands  of  dollars  lor  every  dollar  of  petty  and 
tran.si('nt  a(lvanta<ie  Kained;  that  either  state  should  hope  to  gain  or 
think  that  it  can  gain  by  injuring  the  other;  that  either  state  should 
Seek  to  interfere  in  the  alTairaof  the  other,  as  in  time  each  state  surely 
will  under  a  policy  hostile  to  free  intercourse,  is  a  condition  of  affairs 
pur  ly  barbaric.  These  our  neighbors  have,  with  Roman  energy, 
achieved  stupendous  results  in  creating  their  northern  empire.  Let  us 
take  care  that  we  do  not  inspire  them  towards  us  with  an  implacable 
Carthaginian  hatred. 

It  gruaily  <oncerns  our  own  interest  in  another  respect  that  we 
promptly  second  the  endeavors  of  personal  and  corporate  enterprise 
that  1  have  mentioned  by  at  once  increasing  the  capacity  of  the  im- 
provements of  the  St.  Mary's  River,  so  that  it  will  not  be  for  the  inter- 
est of  the  people  of  Canada  to  develop  or  for  the  interest  of  our  own 
Northwestern  States  to  encourage  the  opening  of  a  new  outlet  to  the 
niiMkets  of  the  world,  ai'  outlet  wholly  gutside  our  own  boundaries, 
and  which,  while  it  v  benefit  greatly  a  large  portion  of  our  own 
countiy,  we  can  not  in  the  lea.st  degree  control.  I  refer  to  the  ouyet 
to  tide-water  on  tlie  western  coast  of  Hudson's  Kay.  This  is  no  mere 
theory;  it  has  been  a  demoiistryted  fact  for  more  than  two  hundred 
years. 

The  country  north  of  the  international  boundarv  up  to  the  fifty-.sixth 
parallel  ol  north  latitude  and  east  ot  the  J^ocky  Mountains,  to  and  in- 
clinimgthe  province  of  Manitoba,  contains  about  KtO.IMKl.OOO  of  acres 
a  large  portion  of  which  is  well  suitetl  to  the  pro.luction  of  cereals! 
J  lie  ndrthern  .nortion,  know  n  i,s  the  I'eace  River  district  owing  to  the 
depression  of  the  koeky  .Momiiains.  has  (|nitc  the  same  climate  as  the 
southern  part  and  is  eiinall y  lertile.  Immigration  is  invading  this  im- 
mense region,  and  the  time  is  nut  tar  di.^tant  when  it  will  be  enormoualv 
productive.  ■' 

From  the  Minnesota  line  to  Churchill,  on  the  western  shoreof  Hud- 
eon  a  liay,  the  distance  is  le,«s  than  SOO  miles.     Of  this  distance  more 


-^        A 


\ 


-«i3s^2am^^^ 


meon-*  polit- 
chewan,  Al- 
:oad  demon- 
reached  tlie 
hores.  Fol- 
1  cause,  the 
ilway  across 
ies  likewise 
^  of  the  St. 
oted  by  the 
3k  along  the 

;he  Western 
1th.  It  has 
■ei};n  trade, 
of  our  own. 
les  but  can 
I  front  forta; 
its  of  either 
IT  do,  for  re- 
stile  execu- 
her  Govern- 
petty  and 
5  to  gain  or 
tate  should 
state  surely 
>n  of  affairs 
m  energy, 
re.  Let  us 
implacable 

ct  that  we 
I  enterprise 

of  the  im- 
r  the  inter- 
of  our  own 
itlet  to  the 
joundaries, 
3f  our  own 
>  the  outlet 

is  no  mere 
o  hundred 

;  fifty-sixth 
,  U>  and  in- 
1)0  of  acres, 
of  cereals, 
ving  to  the 
nate  as  the 
ng  this  im- 
norniously 

jreof  Hnd- 
ance  more 


15 

?ej;,requ2tSSti''i^f^^^ 

of  about  400.000  square  miles  rinliTf  ^'^^  '*'  fibutaries  a  basin 
is  as  near  to  Li verpool  by  he' wav  Jn  »^'  ''^'  an  excellent  harbor.  It 
nearer  to  Liverpool  by  SJ mi leTSMn  itZT  '',^^^*  ^'""'^  ^'^y-  I*  « 
from  the  city  of  Winninee  to  I  ivnrJ  ^,?"'<'»J-  As  to  the  distance 
stautially  the  whole  d^sKL^fril/r'!!  *l'^  ^^'"^  «  therefore  sub- 
to  1,291  ^miles  by  t.''o?Lrke  S™  ?  Kr  i'^^^^  ''  '"  «'i"«l 

cago.  From  Winnineu  south  t^Kh^' .  '  'P^  ™''^  ^y  ^ay of  Chi- 
Gretnai8  6»miles      This^«f>,«   .     f  'n^^^ational  boundary  line  at 

the  great  whSfSowT^  r  gi?nst"[h«  N^^f ''^°^ 

States  and  Canada  ^  ''"'  Northwest,  both  in  the  United 

^Ai^?o7£  :"S  be  su5:  !,^rt:;;r/  ^°  «-/-r  nation  of  wheat 
wheat  produee<i  in  Nort^likoL  and  NorZ'* .°'  *'!,""  '""''y  "*='«  "^ 

The  Canadian  Government  1,«/«^.k'^*®'"°  M'nnesota. 
It  has  adopted  mearreXkinrt^  fb  ''°  \°«-"«iWe  to  these  facta. 
ChurchilL  In  18  78  it  sent  out  o^e  i^^"^"""''?*'""  «*"  »  ^""road  to 
Haliiax,  with  a  corps  of  mo^t  comrJtent  o'r'''  '""^  ^^P*""^'  '"^""^ 
navigability  of  Churchill  and  otW^,  .  ^'^^^^^/s.  *«  a-^certain  the 
Btrait« of  Huds on.  It  w^L  foSnd  th.H.  T  "''  •''"u**'^  ^"y  ^''^""PJl  the 
on  an  average  a  bout  tb^  m Wd^«  If  m  '''T''  '"  *^«  ^«'"''"'-  "^  <  h  urchill 
middle  of  June,  thL^  "nt  oL  i^nT'^'^'.f"-!'*''"*'^^  "P  "^out  the 
in  each  year  fa;  large  San^  sSme^    Th"^  ^'"T  ^^^'  °'  navigation 

River  for  the  five  yi»rs^;?„^^^i5fSeyIar  188^^^^  ^'*-  ^j^'-y'^ 

average  of  about  two  hundred  »ndtw^nt^J^  ^*^  !'**'°  °^°  ^o^  »»» 

^  It  is  suted  in  a  paper  reS  SoS^?.^'.  'n  ^^  y^""'' 
by  Commodore  MarK,  that  th«?,^?       J"^  Geographical  Society 
eon's  Hay  is  14°  higher  than  that^n  5^^"'^  ""^  the  water  in  Hud- 
navigated  for  two  h^undredand  seVentv l^rs^'^^^^^^  W"'  ^''° 

pany  was  iuo.rpomted  in  16^7?  Xifrom  fb.T     "".'^'""  ^^"y<^«™- 
operations  in  this  portion  of  North^  AmT  ^  !"\  '*  commenced  ita 

it  sent  out  ita  meVanS  supnS  and  tt^T  °°»>.i*^"t  the  year  1864 
Kud8on-8  Bav.     Moose  pSlonth^^*  '^^  ^""^  ''^  ^^ips  into 

visited  -nnilly  byTthip^lS^Te^X'S  wSt'"  ''"^^' ^ 
the  yenr  177!).     This  oomm^r^.  «;oo  •  J^' ''^^°  *he  exception  of 

vessels,  without  the  aicuTSnatrc^rr''^  on  by  means  of  sailing 
artificial  harbor  facilities      W^,!  t         ^  "*'  "^  "".v 'iKbt-honses  o? 

west  rout*  by  wr;';,"^,  :^"  P°[^^'<^  «ver  the  ea«t  and 

mnals.  1 1  ought  to  be  genero  .bIt  nnd  «ni  Canadian  and  American 
these  great  c<,,nmonweK„  o W  to  eaeh  if)""""^"*^'"''-  '*  ^^^^ 
lenuth.  Theopeningofaooll^rr^ntlVv,  .  *^'''■  '*^*'"«  "'«''•  ^^tire 
to  i>ol,tic.al  aiid^ommcnS  Lui^Ty  ^ill^^^^  '^•'  ^«P"'«»e 

vo«tlory  or  retaliatory  treatmeuTt.TnTif  1.  •  ''"'^'"  '^"l*-  «*"  P™- 
lations  with  Canada      "***'"^"^  '^^  "^  "^  tl"s  great  subject  of  our  re- 

Jule  ■«),"  IhT  ^°  ^•''^^^^  "'"^'•'^■^  •"  J'-^  ^«P-'   ' the  year  ending 


if- 


.J  ! 


lil  might  prove  diHastrouH.    The  Itirmr 
put  under  contract  and  the  more  lap- 


wine,  ftnd  in  ciiMe  (he  cofTer-daiu  sh.  u} 
the  appropriatioM  tlio  more  woik  ii.ri 
uily  It  can  be  piiHhed  forwiird. 

The  urfrency  Ibr  tlie  appropriation  is  that  the  capacity  of  the  lock 
mm  in  use  wi  1  be  reacbt-.i  uu,.  passtni  long  before  ^e  new  stnictSe 
tau  he  coinp  eted  oven  under  y.  c  most  favorable  circumstances.  Any 
':i^^''^l^V^!.r'!r!^^^^'''.l^y  P^--t  its  use  for  an  indefini^ 


time  and  entail  most  sorioui  .^seiiuences  to  the  greaV  commeTci^ 

Jt  iK^pon  this  single  channel  of  communi- 


transactions  that  are  dcpcudt 
cation. 

Mr.  President,  I  niove  the  iv    jrence  of  the  biU  and  accompanvinis 
papers  to  the  Committee  on  Co  *merce.  «~w'i"iKuijfujg 


;:! 


The  Ittrgcr 
3  more  lAf^ 

'  the  lock 
structure 
:c8.  Any 
indefinite 
mmercial 
iummuni- 


npan^ug 


